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Winsor Review of Police Pay & Conditions

Dear Colleagues

As a result of the Home Secretary's speech yesterday, I am aware that a
number of Branch Boards have received queries from members concerning the
process for any changes to police officers remuneration and conditions of
service. I thought it would assist your communication with members if I
provided you with the following information:

In October last year the Home Secretary announced that she had asked Tom
Winsor to undertake the independent review of police officers' remuneration
and conditions of service. The review consists of two parts, the first phase
looking at short-term changes to pay and conditions and the second part
looking at longer-term reform, including the negotiating machinery.

The first part of the review has now concluded and Mr Winsor's interim
report will be published next week and is expected on Tuesday 8th March. The
Home Secretary has stated that his recommendations will be 'subject to
consideration by the police negotiating bodies'.

The Home Secretary is expected to forward her proposals for changes to the
pay and remuneration package resulting from recommendations within the
review to the Police Negotiating Board (PNB), with a direction to seek
agreement. The conclusion to the negotiations on any of the recommendations
is unlikely to be reached before the summer.

The PNB was established by Act of Parliament and is made-up of an Official
Side which contains representatives of central government, police
authorities and chief police officers, and the Staff Side which is made up
of all of the staff associations representing all police officers of every
rank in the UK - from Constable up to Chief Constable.

Either Side can submit claims or proposals and agreements in the PNB are
reached, not imposed. The Police Federation of England and Wales is an
integral member of the Staff Side. We will, therefore, look to fully defend
members' terms and conditions through this process - and to keep you fully
informed through the course of our negotiations.

A Police Arbitration Tribunal (PAT) provides a safeguard to resolve any
disputes where the Sides cannot reach an agreement. All decisions of the PAT
are binding on both Sides of the PNB but require ratification by the Home
Secretary. Should the Home Secretary choose to impose changes to the pay and
conditions of service of police officers which have not been agreed through
the negotiating machinery, there should be no doubt that the PFEW will
oppose this with every means at our disposal.